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Rick Gevers & Associates

Tuesday, September 2, 2014 UPDATE:

Two items in this UPDATE. I’ve just learned that Sinclair Broadcasting is buying KSNV-TV in Las Vegas. That was, I believe, the last remaining TV station held by JIM ROGERS, who passed away last June. I’m sure you’ll see much of this story in other TV trades over the next day or two.

And for the third consecutive opening, a Houston News Director’s job has been filled via a promotion from within the newsroom.

Granato

Today it’s WENDY GRANATO who’s been promoted to head the news department at KTRK-TV, the ABC o-and-o there. She’s held a variety of roles at the station over the past 12 years, most recently as Senior Executive Producer, Special Projects. She began her career in Lafayette, LA, and moved to Houston in 1993 to work for KNWS-TV, a now defunct 24 hour news channel for which she later served as news director.

General Manager HENRY FLORSHEIM, a former ND himself, sent this note to the staff.

As I mentioned, Wendy’s promotion is the third straight to fill a Houston ND opening, following last July’s move by RHONDA LaVELLE to ND at KPRC-TV and the June 2013 ascension of BOB MORFORD to the top job at KRIV-TV.

I’m arriving in Nashville tomorrow for this year’s RTDNA convention, and hope to see many of you there.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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Greetings:

As a public service to you, our loyal followers, this week’s newsletter will provide lots of holiday reading if you have nothing else to do on this Labor Day.

You can read about FIVE new ND openings, three in major markets and all involving veteran NDs. ONE of those openings was created when a Scripps ND left his job to return to his hometown as ND for another Scripps station.

There are now 27 open ND jobs on our list. Remarkably, THREE of those ND openings are in the same zip code!

We have SEVEN paid help wanted ads: as if often the case, they’re in a wide range of job responsibilities and areas of the country.

THREE obituaries are below, including one for a former NBC o-and-o ND and GM.

And we have a handful of Names in the News and a number of interesting General Manager moves.

By the way, if you’re going to be in Nashville for the RTDNA convention this week, I’ll look forward to seeing you there.

Until then, read on for a full newsletter.

New News Director Openings:

Crooke

WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA…congratulations to ELLEN CROOKE who’s been promoted. She’s been named VP/News for Gannett, replacing longtime exec ROB MENNIE who’s moving to GM of the company’s duopoly in Jacksonville, FL. (More on that below in our Names in the News section). Ellen’s been ND here since 2008, first joined Gannett as ND of WGRZ-TV in Buffalo in 2002. She’s a former ND in South Bend, and has also worked in Louisville, Rochester, NY, and Albany, NY.

KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO…in one of two UPDATES we shared with you earlier this week, we told you that ED KOSOWSKI would leave this Tribune owned FOX/CW duopoly when his contract expired in early September. GM PETER MARONEY explained the move in this note to the staff. Ed’s been here three years, has been an ND in Boston and San Francisco, and worked in Miami and Washington, as well as for CNBC.

KMGH-TV, Denver, CO…we also reported this move in an UPDATE earlier this week. JEFF HARRIS is leaving this Scripps owned ABC affiliate to return to his hometown and another Scripps ABC station, WEWS-TV in Cleveland. More on that below.

Brinkman

WEAR-TV, Pensacola, FL…KYLE BRINKMAN has left this Sinclair-owned ABC affiliate after eight years as news director. His departure comes shortly after a new General Manager arrived at the station. Kyle’s a former ND in Chattanooga who’s also worked in Baltimore, Norfolk, Memphis, Columbus, OH, and Huntsville (twice). The station has had two news directors in 30 years (Kyle succeeded 22 year station veteran PETER NEUMANN.)

Cummings

WICU/WSEE-TV, Erie, PA…another veteran news director is on the move here, as BILL CUMMINGS will leave this duopoly when his contract expires in October. He’s previously been a news director in Yuma, AZ, Tallahassee, FL, Evansville, IN, Johnson City, TN, Tucson, and Huntington/Charleston, WV. He’s also worked in sales for several companies, including weather vendors Baron Services and Weather Central.

Newly Named News Directors:

Harris

WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH…we mentioned above that JEFF HARRIS is headed back to his hometown as ND of this Scripps-owned ABC affiliate. Jeff’s been the ND for Scripps’ KMGH-TV in Denver since October, 2008. The Denver Post offers more on his time there. Jeff worked at WEWS earlier in his career as a producer before leaving for his first stint at KMGH. He left Denver for four years at KPIX-TV in San Francisco before returning to KMGH as News Director. At WEWS, he replace JILL MANUEL who left the station in March after 5+ years as ND

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Operations Manager, WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA:

WCAU the NBC O&O in Philadelphia is looking for the News Operations Manager of the future.

A technical guru with eyes piercing into tomorrow to gain a competitive advantage today. We need a critical and creative thinker to join the NBC10 team designing and constructing the most technologically advanced newsroom ever built. This is a triple-threat position working in news, production and engineering.

Duties will include but are not limited to: special events logistical planning, lead on digital gathering and production, oversee news bureaus, photography supervision, capital budget, disaster recovery, master newsroom computer system and SkyForce10.

Assignment Content Manager, WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA:

The time is now for the nerve center of the newsroom to evolve.

WCAU-TV in Philadelphia is ready to acquire, trade or draft the next generation of Assignment Managers. The content manager works with assignment editors, web editors, and producers. You’ll make sure we are covering the stories that our mission demands, and more importantly, not wasting time covering stories that don’t meet our expectation level.

You’ll work with producers to build our coverage on TV and take the lead to ensure content synergy between TV, nbc10.com and social media. You will take a lead on breaking news; getting the chopper launched, getting crews to the scene, and figuring out which technology will be needed to cover the story live. You’ll be looking ahead to plan coverage for major events.

This is an exciting position that doesn’t exist now, so we need a self-starter with a vision to make it their own.

WCAU, NBC10 is the fastest growing news operation in Philadelphia with an expectation level to reach the top.

Only apply if you have a pioneering spirit, excels under pressure, are motivated by competition and are crazy about local news.

Morning Executive Producer, KATU-TV, Portland, OR:

KATU seeks a dynamic newsroom leader to help create and execute the most innovative newscast in the Portland, Oregon market.

The ideal candidate has a passion for morning news, an award-winning background in local television news production, and a vision for how to showcase the morning team in new, exciting ways every day. Oh yeah, and the ideal candidate is a social media rock star who really knows how to incorporate digital content into our daily coverage.

Duties include providing input and constructive oversight for newscast producers on story selection and presentation, reviewing reporter scripts for creativity and accuracy, and coaching the team on strategic initiatives including programming to the target audience, managing meters, weather storytelling and creating more organic anchor “moments.”

Candidates must also demonstrate strong news judgment and the ability to coordinating an aggressive response to breaking news and weather.

News Director Tiffani Lupenski will make the hire. But to get her attention, you first need to apply online by clicking here!

One of the nation’s largest and most cutting-edge public media companies is seeking a digital native to lead its evolving Digital Communications and Marketing team. Based in Denver, where urban sophistication meets outdoor adventure, Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting serves the Rocky Mountain region as a PBS and NPR affiliate with an expanding portfolio of digital assets, including applications, multiple websites, a robust social media presence, myriad brands such as Rocky Mountain PBS I-News, KUVO Jazz Radio and more.

We are seeking an experienced leader to execute a multi-platform vision based on fully leveraging all aspects of the organization’s brand. In addition to leading a team of innovative, cutting-edge content creators, this person will be responsible for strategically leading the daily operation of Rocky Mountain PBS’ marketing and branding efforts.

This is your chance to break into the unparalleled Denver media market and make a real difference for the entire Colorado community. If you’re an entrepreneur at heart, enjoy dreaming up new approaches to audience engagement, and the ability to measure and report progress, this may be your next career step.

Executive Producer, WCTI-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC:

WCTI-TV and FOX Eastern Carolina are looking for an Executive Producer to help manage a dynamic newsroom on the picturesque North Carolina coast (Greenville, New Bern and Jacksonville). This is a great opportunity to earn your management stripes while working just 30 minutes from the Crystal Coast’s beautiful beaches and hours from the Outer Banks.

You will work closely with the News Director and Assistant News Director in running all aspects of the News Department. Duties include: the day to day supervision of all news staff, training and coaching our producing staff and managing the content of our daily newscasts.

Our EP is instrumental in helping to build and execute our annual strategic plan across our broadcast, online and mobile platforms. Our key images are “Alerting You to Severe Weather Danger” and “Getting the Facts Right.” During breaking news and severe weather, the EP takes over producing responsibilities in the control room.

The right person will be an energetic leader with good motivational skills. Qualified candidates must be savvy with web posting and social media. Preference will be given to candidates who have at least three years of producing experience.

Nightside Executive Producer, KXTV, Sacramento, CA:

News10 (KXTV), a Gannett Company and ABC affiliate in Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto, California seeks an Executive Producer, Nightside. We program more than 30 hours of local news each week and offer an expanding portfolio of websites, hyper-local sites and mobile apps.

Additionally, we are based in sunny Sacramento. Come join us in the city of trees…and outdoor living. We’re an hour from Lake Tahoe… an hour from Napa… and just down the road from San Francisco. Come find out why people move to this area… and never want to leave.

Morning Executive Producer, WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT:

WTNH – the ABC affiliate in the Hartford/New Haven, CT market – has an immediate opening for a morning show Executive Producer.

So what are we looking for?

A real morning show specialist and leader. Someone who can guide the coverage on their shift. Make the important calls as to crews, resources and what gets on the air.

An innovator. We need someone has great ideas and who’ll adopt the mantra that today’s shows are going to be different than any shows we’ve aired before.

A motivator. Can you get the people working with you excited about today’s challenge?

A Watchdog for the Brand. We’re the Voice of the People. That means our stories have to have some viewer benefit and they have to be told through the eyes and voices of real people.

We also say “We’ve Got Your Back” a lot: we want to do stories that stand up for the regular guy, ask tough questions and hold people accountable.

Why New Haven? This is a fantastic part of the country, miles from the Long Island Sound and located in easy driving/train riding distance from New York, Boston, Cape Cod, Philadelphia and the JerseyShore.

WTNH has a large newsroom with three satellite newsrooms, multiple sat trucks, live vans and TVUs. Do you want to work for a newsroom that is growing?

MANAGING EDITOR:

NEWS OPERATIONS MANAGER:

WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA: (new listing this week, see ad above!)

WAVE-TV, Louisville, KY (relisted 7/20/14)

* Spanish language station

Obituaries:

Ward

I’m sorry to report the death last Wednesday of former ND and GM MIKE WARD. He was 63 and had suffered a massive stroke in 2008, shortly after leaving his job as ND for WUSA-TV in Washington. He’d also been the ND for NBC’s WMAQ-TV in Chicago, went from there to NBC’s WCAU-TV in Philadelphia as Creative Services Director, and later served as GM for WNCN-TV in Raleigh when NBC owned that station. Mike started as a photographer in his home town of Sioux Falls, SD, and later worked in Cleveland. He’s survived by his wife MAUREEN and other family members, as detailed in this obituary.

Two obituaries from Cincinnati:

Seventeen year WLWT-TV employee DAVID ROSCHdied this week. He most recently had been news operations manager but held a variety of management positions at the station.

KYLE HILL, who once served as Acting News Director for WKRC-TV in Cincinnati, died last Sunday at the age of 80. He was an anchor/reporter at the station who later worked in public relations.

Situations Wanted:

We offer a free situations wanted ad to news managers who are looking for a new opportunity. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 150 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.

Names in the News…and other things:

Former KRIV-TV (Houston) Morning Executive Producer MARGARET CORDES has filed suit against the station, claiming she lost her job after she was diagnosed with cancer and had to take time off from work. More in this story.

J.B. OZUNA has been promoted to VP of digital media for Schurz Communications. He was sales and revenue development director. J.B. has worked in Denver and San Antonio.

And I want to clarity our item last week. In reporting NORA ZIMMETT’s move to the Weather Channel, I got her title wrong. She’s Senior VP of Live Programming. JENNIFER RIBGY is still the VP of Live Programming. Apologies to all involved.

GENERAL MANAGER NEWS:

ROBERT “BUBBA” BURNS has been promoted to VP/General Manager for Sunbeam’s WHDH/WLVI-TV in Boston. He’s been the Director of Sales there.

Vann

LES VANNwill be the next GM for LIN Media’s WISH/WNDY-TV in Indianapolis. He’ll have his hands full: as most of you know, WISH will lose its CBS affiliation at the end of the year. Les began his career in news, but has most recently been a GM for LIN’s duopoly in Savannah, GA. He’s also run stations in Cincinnati, Syracuse, Ashville, NC, Cedar Rapids, and Champaign, IL.

STEVE DOERR will replace Les as GM in Savannah at WJCL/WTGS-TV until the previously announced sale of the stations has been finalized.

Mennie

We mentioned above that ROB MENNIEis headed to Jacksonville, FL, as GM for WTLV/WJXX-TV, the Gannett owned duopoly there. He replaces ERIC LAND who left the stations after two years as GM. Rob’s been VP/News for Gannett, is a former ND for stations in Washington and Dayton, worked in Atlanta and Phoenix, and began his career as a photographer in Columbus, OH. He rose to EP at WCMH-TV and later worked at WSYX-TV in Columbus.